USGS 104g Program

National Competitive Grants

The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources supports an annual call for proposals to focus on water problems and issues that are of a regional or interstate nature or relate to a specific program priority identified by the Secretary of the Interior and the Institutes.

The goals of the National Competitive Grants program are to:

promote collaboration between the USGS and university scientists in research on significant national and regional water resources issues.
promote the dissemination and results of the research funded under this program.
assist in the training of scientists in water resources.

Research Priorities

Proposals are sought on the topic of improving and enhancing the nation’s water supply and availability, and promoting the exploration of new ideas that address or expand our understanding of water problems, including the following specific areas of inquiry (levels of priority are not assigned, and the order of listing does not indicate the level of priority):
• Socioeconomics and water use – includes the development of water use models that require understanding of what drives the timing and location of water being withdrawn and used and how those relations change when climate impacts the use or conservation/management strategies (culture/societal/economics) are implemented.

• Water related hazards and public health – exploration of the intersections of land/water use, disease vector mechanisms, and water hazards, climate change, and/or irrigation practices. Research may include advancing our understand of these connections as they affect the development rates of pathogens impacting public health.

• Exploration and advancement of our understanding of harmful algae blooms (HABs). Proposals are sought that focus on innovations in monitoring the occurrence of HABs and algal toxins, research on factors that result in algal toxin production, and improvements in near-real time modeling and forecasting of toxin-producing blooms.

Download the FY2021 USGS 104g Announcement.

Full Proposals due to USGS by June 24, 2021, 5:00 pm.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS:

Email one-page proposal ASAP synopsis to Michael Dietz (860-486‑2436), Director, Connecticut Institute of Water Resources for approval to submit a full proposal.

IF PROPOSAL IDEA IS APPROVED BY CTIWR DIRECTOR:

Complete all proposal documents and submit through your Grants Office for approval (UConn PIs will submit directly to SPS). Forms are available here.
Email approved proposal documents to Michael Dietz, Director, Connecticut Institute of Water Resources by June 3, 2021.
Proposal information will be entered into grants.gov by UConn Office of Sponsored Program Services.

Funding

Funding for the 104g Program is typically around 1 million dollars in federal funds per year. There is a cap of $250,000 of federal funds per project and a maximum duration of 3 years. Federal funds must be matched at least 1:1 with non-federal dollars.

All successful proposals will be fully funded for the entire duration of the project with FY 2021 funds, if available.

Target award date is August-September 2021. USGS preferred project start date is September 1, 2021 (project must start no later than September 30, 2021)

NOTE: Funds have not yet been appropriated for this program for FY 2021. The Government’s obligation under this program is contingent upon the availability of funds.

Eligibility

Principal Investigator must be at an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States to apply for a grant.
All proposals by PIs at a Connecticut institution of higher learning must submit their proposal to the Connecticut Institute of Water Resources (CTIWR).
Proposals are entered into grants.gov by the University of Connecticut (regardless of PI home institution), home of the CTIWR.
Funds are awarded directly to the CTIWR and dispersed to the PIs institution (as a subaward if outside UConn).

Connecticut Institute of Water Resources